American Technical Education Association national office to be housed at Dunwoody College

Minneapolis, MN, May 2, 2012 — The American Technical Education Association (ATEA) has officially relocated its national office to Dunwoody College of Technology. ATEA is a national professional organization that serves faculty, administrators, educational services vendors, and companies that hire graduates from technical programs.

“It is, indeed, a privilege for the premier post-secondary technical education professional development organization to partner with one of the nation’s premier private technical colleges,” said Dr. Larry Moser, Director of the Secondary Technical Center of South Arkansas Community College and ATEA President.

“The central location of Dunwoody College of Technology in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area will give the ATEA greater exposure and access to the many professional educators involved in technical education. As President of the American Technical Education Association, I know I speak on behalf of our Board of Trustees in affirming that the ATEA/Dunwoody partnership promises to be one of the most strategic decisions made by the ATEA organization.”

Sandra Krebsbach has been hired as the new executive director of ATEA. Dr. Krebsbach holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota and has previously served as dean of technical trade and apprenticeship programs at Saint Paul College.

“Dr. Krebsbach brings to post-secondary technical education professional development a strong background of academic involvement in post-secondary technical education and an extensive exposure to the political mechanisms influencing the development of technical education,” Dr. Moser said. “We welcome her contemporary and dynamic approach to enhancing all aspects of technical education professional development and to developing strategies to keep technical careers and technical training in the public discourse. I and the Board of Trustees anticipate many good things to come from both the partnership with Dunwoody College of Technology as our ATEA office site and the great background and activities of Dr. Krebsbach as our Executive Director.”

“What is unique about ATEA is that our members really know each other,” Dr. Krebsbach said. “Our members develop strong connections and engage in dialogue that helps spread best practices in the field throughout the nation.”

“Dunwoody College has long been active in the ATEA and is pleased to be able to provide a location for the organization,” Dunwoody College President Rich Wagner said. “In fact, as a leading advocate for technical education, the ATEA continues the legacy of Charles Prosser, Dunwoody’s first director and the father of technical education in the United States. We also welcome Dr. Krebsbach and look forward to working with her.” Dr. Wagner is also the vice president and president elect of ATEA.

For the past 34 years, ATEA was housed on the campus of North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, ND. The move to the Twin Cities brings with it the advantages of a major metropolitan area with many corporate headquarters and access to an international airport.

“I’m excited that ATEA will now be located at Dunwoody,” Dr. Krebsbach said. “I think it will be especially helpful for it to be in the Twin Cities because Minnesota is such a powerhouse in healthcare, printing, information technology, precision manufacturing, automated packaging, construction and other industries that employ graduates of technical programs. Many Minnesota based companies have a national workforce, relaying on technical colleges in other states to provide trained employees. ATEA can be a helpful partner in professional development and best practices in those states as well as in Minnesota”

ATEA was chartered in Delmar, NY, in 1960. From the beginning its goal was to “promote technical education for interested and qualified youth and adults … recommend standards for technical education … [and] provide an opportunity for an exchange of ideas among persons in the technical education field.”

The mission of the American Technical Education Association is to serve as the premier provider of professional development for postsecondary technical educators. It holds both a national conference and regional conferences. It also gives out yearly awards to educators, students and other individuals who support the organization’s goals and publishes a refereed journal twice a year, which is edited by Dr. Sandra C. Coyner of the University of Akron.

The next national conference will be held March 20-22, 2013, in Chattanooga, Tenn., and will be held in the Twin Cities in 2014, the year that Dunwoody celebrates its Centennial.

As a national organization, ATEA draws its leadership and membership from across the country. Current members of the executive committee in addition to Dr. Moser and Dr. Wagner include: Jane Hildenbrand, chair and professor of early childhood education, Ivy Tech Community College; Dr. James King, vice chancellor, Tennessee Technology Centers; Bob Wallace, director of finance, Tennessee Technology Centers; and Dr. Paul Young, president, North Wyoming Community College.

In addition, the ATEA board includes members from institutions located in the Northeast, South, Midwest and West.

About Dunwoody: Founded in 1914, Dunwoody College of Technology is the only private, not-for-profit, technical college in the Upper Midwest. For more, visit dunwoody.edu.